Rotary engine.



Patented May 8,- |900.

No. 649,043. Patented may s, |900. n. i cHmIToN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

' (Application med sept. 1s, 1009.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ll. CURITTON, kOF NORTII ENID, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY..

ROTARY ENGIN E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No.. 649,043, dated May 8, 1900.

Application filed September 18, 1899. Serial No. 739,899. (No model.)

To all whom zr' may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT B. CHRI'TTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Enid, in the county of Garfield, Oklahoma Territory, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines; and on'e object is to provide a simple and effective rotary motor designed to be actuated by the impact of a fluid led tothe interior of the cylinder and adjacent a rotary piston.

Another object of the invention i's to compoundasingle-acting engine by providingseveral series of abutments,`both fixed and movable, bearing different relations and so arranged that the live steam after its effective operation between two abutments will pass' between the abutments of another series t0 obtain the compound action usually obtain# able only in double-acting engines.

A still further ob ject of the invention is to provide simple means for reversing the motor.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of my engine. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the section being taken at right angles to the line of section ofiFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the cylinder with the piston removed. Fig. 4 is adetail view of the piston detached.

Referring to the numerals of reference, cach of which designates a corresponding part with abutting flanges 4 and 5, secured together by bolts 6 to forma cylinder. The upper section 2 is provided, as usual, with a portcasing 7, through which adjacent to one end of the cylinder are located a pair of supplyports 8 and through which adjacent to the opposite end of the cylinder are located supplyports 9.

The ports 8 and 9 are controlled by a controlling-valve 10, provided with four ports 11 and located within a valve-casing l2, to which4 is led the steam through a steam or other fluid supply pipe 13. The ports 1l through the valve are so related that either the ports 8 or the ports 9, leading from the casing 12 to the interior of the cylinder, may be brought into coincident relation therewith alternatelythat is to say, when either pair of ports is open the other must be closed. v

14 indicates a rocksha-ft extending through the valve-casing and carrying a rocker 15,

seated in a cradle 16, constituting a part of the valve 10.

Any suitable means for actuating the controlling-'valve may be employed, but as the sole function of the controlling-valve is to stop, start,`or reverse the motor I prefer to employ an ordinary valve-lever 17 upon the end of the shaft 14 at the outside of the valvecasing.

18 indicates a cut-oft' valve situated in a depression in the upper face of the cylinder and provided with ports 19 intermediate' of the ports in the cylinder and controlling-valve. This cut-01T valve is provided with a roller-stud 20, extending from thecut-off valve 1S to the interior of the cylinder, where it engages acutof-valve-actuating groove 2l at the center of the rotary piston 22, fitting within the cylinder and mounted upon the shaft 23. The ends of the` cylinder are covered 'by a head 24., and suitable bearings 25 are provided for the Shaft 23.

Upon opposite sides of the peripheral camgloove 2l are formed in the face of the piston several series of oppositely-disposed steampockets 26 and 27. rlhere are preferably four series of these pockets, two of which atone end of the piston are disposed with their abutments in one direction and are in staggered relation-that is to say, the two series of pockets to one side of. the cam-groove have their pockets arranged staggered and all of .the abutments being disposed in a direction to drive the piston in opposition to the direction in which it is driven when the steam is admitted to the pockets at the opposite side of the groove, which also have this staggered arrangement. Now as these pockets are presented before the ports 8 or 9, according to the direction in which it is desired to rotate the piston, steam is admitted to them alternately, and by its impact against the abutments of the pockets the piston is rotated. As the pocket in the piston progresses beyond the abutment-recess 29 in the cylinder the steam imprisonedy therein will he carried with the piston until the pocket arrives opposite a,

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e elige-i3 chamber 30, formed by enlarging the internal diameter of 'the cylinder-section 3. The stealn now escapes into this chamber and in striking against the end thereof drives the piston farther. From thence the steam passes to the exhaust 31. During this operation the live steam is being admitted from the controlling-valve chamber 12 through the ports inthe controlling-valve, cut-oft' valve, and cylinder. Unrestricted ad mission of the steam would be, as is well understood in the art,

wasteful, and the cut-oit valve is therefore provided for cutting oit the supply of steam either during a hal-f, or quarter of the movement of the piston, or, if desired, during the progress of a portion ofv each pocket before the port, the extent of movement of the cut-- off valve and the number of its reciprocations to a complete revolution of the piston being determined by the form of the cam-groove 2l and corresponding to the number of pockets in a series.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a second cutol valve 32, seated within the valve-recess in the wall of the cylinder at any desired point and serving to control a port 34, leading between a pair of pockets 85 and 36, formed in the in-ner face of the piston just beyond the abutment-recesses 29. These pockets'are arranged in alinement with each of the contignous series of pockets, and the abutment of one is arranged opposite the shallow extremity of the other. This second cut-olf, as it may be termed, is, like the cut-off valve 18, reciprocated by a roller-pin 37, extending into the cam-groove 21. all of the series of pockets 27 adjacent tothe end of the piston pass beyond the abutmentrecesses 29 the live steamFwill escape from the pocket into the pocket 35 in the cylinder .and the impact of the steam will be utilied.

As the pocket 27 passes Athe pocket 35 and while still in communication therewith the second cut-olf or valve is operated to open the port 34, permitting the imprisoned steam to pass from the pocket-35 to the pocket 36 opposite the inner series of pockets 27, where l a cylinder provided with abutment-recesses further impact will take place.

When it is desired to reverse theengine, it is simply necessary to shift theposition of the controlling-.valve to close the ports 9, for instance, and open the ports 8 in the cylinder, the operation of -the engine being precisely the same, except in the opposite direction and withthe further exception that a second cut-off valve is not usually employed in connection with the pockets 2G, which rangement of which would be a mere duplication at the opposite side of tlie cylinder.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have invented a rotary engine embodyinga New as certain or novel construction which'niakes the engine capable of reversal and effects the compound. impact of the steam and the utilization of its expansive energy almost to the point of atmospheric pressure; but while the present embodiment of my invention appears at this time to be preferable I do not desire to limit myself to the structural details defined, but reserve the right to change, modify, aud vary such detailswithin the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. In a rotary engine, the combination witli a cylinder and rotary piston provided with oppositely-disposed series of staggered pockets, of a controlling-valve controlling the steam-supply, and an automatically-actuated cut-oft valve` intermediate of the piston and controlling-valve and adapted to permit and control the passage of steam from one line of pockets to the other of a staggered series, substantially as specified.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with an abutment-recess, and ports leading thereto, of a piston within the cylinderand provided with oppositelydisposed pockets, and with a cam-groove, a

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vided with a medial cam-groove and with opl positely-,disposed pockets at opposite sides of the cam-groove, said pockets being arranged in alternating circumferential series, acontrolling-valve provided with ports and controlling the ingress of steam tothe interior of the cylinder, a cutoff valve intermediate of thecontrolling-valve and piston and provided with a projection engaging the cam-groove inthe latter, substantially as specified;

4. In a rotary engine, thecombination with and with progressively-arranged pockets and an intermediate port, a controllingvalve-and a cut-olf valve cooperating to regulate the ingress of steam to the cylinder, an expansionvalve controlling the port intermediate of the pockets, a rotary piston provided with circumferential series of alternating pockets and mechanism for effecting the automatic actuation of the cut-oft and expansion valv'cs,sub stan'tially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as IIO UsI

my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses."

ROBERT 13. CHRITTON.

fitnesses FRANK WORCESTER,

JOHN L. McA'rEE, 4Jr. 

